Hoist and adapter therefor



Aug. 16, 1955 c. w. KEcK 2,715,473

HOIST AND ADAPTER THEREFOR Filed March 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 16, 1955 c. w. KECK 2,715,473

HOIST AND ADAPTER THEREFOR I Filed March 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O HQIST AND ADAPTER THEREFOR Cecil W. Keek, Carterville, Mo.

Appiieation March 30, 1953, Serial No. 345,302

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-658) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hoists and adapters therefor, and has as its principal object the provision of a hoist having novel adapter means for securing it in operative relation to the object to be hoisted and to the supporting structure for said object.

The device is intended primarily for use in hoisting objects having a pair of upright standards forming a part thereof to a support structure including a corresponding pair of depending support posts. A particular purpose is the provision of a hoist adapted to hoist unit or space heaters into position, although the invention is not so limited. Such heaters commonly include a pair of standards such as recited above adapted to be secured to a pair of support posts aixed in a ceiling or other overheat structure. Heaters of this type may weigh several hundred pounds, and often must be manhandled into position by men on ladders, which is an extremely strenuous and dangerous operation.

Another object is the provision of a hoist and adapter of the character described wherein the center of the hoisting force is disposed centrally between and parallel to the support standards and posts, whereby the heater or other object hangs vertically as it is lifted.

A further object is the provision of a hoist and adapter of the character described wherein the means for connecting said device to the Support posts and standards occupies very little vertical space, whereby it is adapted for use in circumstances wherein the support standards and posts are very short.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and eldciency of operation, and adaptability for use in a wide variety of applications.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a hoist and adapter therefor embodying the present invention, shown in operative relationship to an object being hoisted and the support structure for said object, partially broken away. v

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line lI-ll of Fig. l, with parts left in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line lll-lll of Fig. l, with parts left in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken on line Vl-VI of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VIH-VIII of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary left side elevational view of the device as shown in Fig. l, showing the cable drum mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line X-X of Fig. 9.

2,715,473 Patented Aug. 16, 1955 ICC Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to an object to be hoisted, such as a unit or space heater, having a pair of spaced apart, upright standards 4 and 6 atliXed therein and forming a part thereof. Said standards are to be joined respectively to a pair of correspondingly spaced, depending support posts 8 and 10 aiiixed in an overhead structure such as ceiling 12, the mating ends of each corresponding standard and support post being adapted to be joined by separable unions 14.

The hoist and adapter forming the subject matter of this invention includes an upper beam 16 adapted to be connected to support posts 8 and 10, and a lower beam 18 adapted to be connected to standards 4 and 6. Upper beam 16 comprises a pair of axially aligned tubular end sections 20 and 22 joined by a tubular connecter member 24 slidably inserted in the contiguous end portions of end sections 20 and 22. Said connector is not threaded in said end sections, however, and said end sections are free to move longitudinally with respect to each other and to pivot relatively about their aXis. A pair of nuts 26 and 28 are threaded on the central portion of connector 24, and abut respectively against the adjacent ends of end sections 20 and 22. At the outer end of each of end sections 20 and 22 a pulley wheel 30 is mounted for rotation on a transverse, substantially horizontal axis, by means of asle bolt 32. Welded or otherwise fixed respectively to end sections 20 and 22 at transversely opposite sides thereof, are a pair of hooks 34 and 36, said hooks opening inwardly toward the center of beam 16. Said hooks are formed of flat stock, disposed in an approximately horizontal plane, and the throats 38 thereof are of a width such as to fit loosely about support posts 8 and 10. A second pair of hooks 40 and 42 are carried respectively by end sections 20 and 22, being disposed diametrically opposite hooks 34 and 36 previously described. Hooks 40 and 42 are similar to hooks 34 and 36, except that the throats 44 thereof have a different width whereby to grip support posts of another diameter. It is believed evident that more pairs of hooks could be aiiixed to end sections 2t) and 22, the hooks of each pair being disposed at laterally opposite sides of the beam and spaced equidistantly from the adjacent ends of the end sections, or that the hook pairs could be removably and interchangeably attached to the beam sections, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Lower beam 18 comprises a pair of tubular end sections 46 and 48 joined by an unthreaded connector member 5@ slidably inserted in the contiguous ends of end sections 46 and 4S. Said end sections are provided with a pair of hooks 52 and 54 identical with and corresponding to hooks 34 and 36 of upper beam 16, and a pair of hooks 56 and 58 identical with and corresponding to hooks 40 and 42 of the upper beam.

Welded or otherwise xed to the outer end of end section 48 is a plate 60 to which is attached a housing 62 by means of bolts 64. A drum 66 is rotatably mounted within said housing on axle bolt 68. A flexible cable is wound on said drum. Said cable passes outwardly through a window 72 in said housing, thence upwardly to and over pulley 3Q carried by upper beam section 22, thence horizontally along the upper side of upper beam 16 and over pulley 30 carried by upper beam section 20, and thence downwardly to the outer end of lower beam section 46. Said cable is adapted to be inserted transversely in a slot 74 formed in beam section 46, and is provided at its end with a ball enlargement 76 rigidly fixed thereto, whereby said cable is prevented from pulling through said slot. Said ball enlargement engages in a spherical socket 78 formed in the lower surface of beam section 46, whereby to prevent accidental displacement of the ball.

Although the specic drum mechanism used is not pertinent to the present invention, as shown it comprises (Figs. .9 and l) a geared pinion 80 xed on axle 82 rotatably mounted in housing 62, said pinion meshing operatively with gear Vteeth 84 formed in the peripheral edge of drum 66. Fixed on axle 82 exteriorly of housing 62 is a sprocket wheel 86 which is operatively engaged byran endless beaded chain 88,' by means of which the sprocket wheel may ber manually turned. The sprocket wheel is releasablyv secured against rotation in one direction, whereby to secure the cable in load-holding position, byrmeansof a dog9i) pivoted to housingr62 at 92 and urged by ,spring 94 into engagement with ratchet teeth 96 cut in the periphery ofv sprocket wheel 86.

In operation, upperl beam 16 is first lengthened by sliding end sections 20 and 22 thereof outwardly along connector k24, then sliding them inwardly to position hooks 34 and 376, for example, about support posts 8 and 10, as shown. Lower beam 18 is similarly manipulated to bring hooks l52 and54 into engagement respectively with the standards 4 and 6 of the object 2 to be hoisted. Nuts 2t;l and 2S are runoutwardly on connector 24 whereby to engage respectively the inner ends of beam sections 20 and 22. The cable 7i) is then trained about the pulleys 30 and secured in slot 74 of lower beam section 46 as previously described. Drum 66 is then turned by operation of chain 88 to reel in cable 70, whereby to elevate object 2.'

As the load is applied to the cable, hooks 34 and 36 will be tilted with respect to support posts 8 and 10, causing said hooks to be tilted slightly out of their horizontal planes to cause a cramping or binding between said hooks and said support posts, in a well understood manner, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The grip provided by this binding action will support any load within the strength limitations of the hooks, since it increases proportionately to the load exerted thereon. It is desirable that the edges of the hooks forming the boundaries of the throats 38 thereof be squared, so as to bight into the surfaces ofthe support posts to positively prevent any slippage of the hooks'along the posts. Hooks 52 and 54 of lower beam 18 are similarly operative to grip standards 4 and 6 of the object 2 being hoisted. Connectors 24 and 50 each have a marker, such as cotter pin 98,{ixed centrally therein, to serve as a visual indication permitting centering of said connectors in their respectiveV beams.

It will be lnoted that since hooks`34 and 36 are disposed respectively at opposite transverse sides of beam 16, Vsaid beam must be inserted diagonally between support posts 8 and 10, as shown in Fig. 2, and that lower beam 18 correspondingly is inserted diagonally between standards 4 and 6 of object 2. Since the load center is along a line passing through the centerpoints of beams 16 and 18, this relationship provides that said load center will Ybe disposed in a line parallel to and midway between the support posts and standards. Thus Athe load will hang trulyvertcally, with no tendency to tilt or move out of vertical alignment. The transversely opposite relationship of hooks 34 and 36 of the upper beam, and hooks 52 and 54 of the lower beam, requires that the end 'sections of each beam turn relatively oppositely about the beam axis during the tilting action of the hooks. The connectors 24'and 50 of the beams permit this relativernovernent of the end sections of the beams. The lrelative rotation of the end sections of each beam need actually be only very slight, being exaggeratedsomebeam; The horizontal reach of cable'70 Vparallel to upper beam 16 exerts a longitudinally compressive load Cal on said beam. This load would force beam end sections 20 and 22 toward each other, and hence spring support posts 8 and 10 toward each other and out of alignment with standards 4 and 6, were it not for nuts 26 and 28, which hold beam end sections 20 and 22 in positively spaced relation. There is no longitudinally compressive load in lower beam 18.

With the hoist and adapter positioned and operated as described, the object 2 will be lifted with standards 4 and 6 thereof disposed accurately in alignment respectively with support posts 8 and 10, whereby said standards and posts may be joined by means of unions 14, or by welding, or by any other suitable method.

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that many minor modifications of structure and operation could be made within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. A Yhoist and adapter therefor comprising an upper horizontal* beam having end sections axially rotatable relative toreach other and freely movable relatively in a direction parallel to the axis of the beam, a hook fixedv to each of said end `sections and lying in a substantially horizontal plane, said hooks being offset in transversely opposite directions from the axis of said beam and opening in a direction parallel to said axis, a lower horizontal beam substantially coextensive with said upper beam and having end sections axially rotatable relative to each other and freely .movable relatively in adirection parallel to the axis of the beam, a hook fixed to eachv of said lower beam end sections and lying in a substantially horizontal plane, said last named hooks being offset in transversely lopposite directions from the axis of said lower beam and opening in a direction parallel to said* axis, and'adjustably extensible support members extending between and connecting said upper and lowerV beams, said support memberslying substan-` tially in a'verticalplane including thel axes of said beams.

2. A hoist and adapter therefor comprisingan upper horizontal beam having end-sections axially rotatable relative to each other and freely movable relatively in a direction parallelto the axis-,of the beam, adjustable means lcarried by said beam and limiting the longitudinal movement of said end sections toward each other, a hook fixed to each of said endsections and lying in aA substantially horizontal plane, said hooks being offset in transversely oppositev directions from the axis of said beam and opening'in a'. directionparallel to said axis, a lowerV horizontalV beam'substantially coextensive said upper-beam and having end-sc :ctions axially rotatable relative to eachV other and freely movable relatively in a directionparallel to the axis ofthe beam, a hook fixed to each/ Ofsaid lower beam end sections and lying `in aV substantially horizontal plane, said last named'hooks being oiset in transversely opposite directions from the axis of said lower beam and opening in a directionparallel tol said axis; and adjustably extensible support members extending between and connecting said upper and lower beams, said support members lying substantially in a vertical plane including the axes of said beams.

3. A hoist and adapter therefor comprising an upper horizontal beam having end sections axially rotatable relative to each other and freely movable relatively in a direction parallel to the axis of said beam, a pulley carried for rotation on a horizontal transverse axis at the outerend of each of said end sections, a hook xed to each of said end sections and lying in a substantially horizontal plane, said hooks being .offset in transversely opposite directions from the axis of said beam and opening toward the center of said beam, a lower horizontal beam substantially coextensivel with said upper beam and having end sectionsaxially rotatable relative yto each other and freely movable relatively in a direction 5 6 parallel to the axis of said beam, a hook fixed to each said upper beam, and secured at its end to the end of of said lower beam end sections and lying in a subsaid lower beam opposite said drum.

stantially horizontal plane, said last named hooks being f t offset in transversely opposite directions from the axis Re ences Cited m the me of this Paten of said lower beam and opening toward the center of 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said beam, a drum carried rotatably at one end 0f Said 2,136,255 Scanlon Nov. 8, 1938 lower beam, and a cable adapted to be Wound on Said 2,216,886 Langelier Oct. 8, 1940 drum and extending from said drum respectively OVeI 2,379,599 Smith July 3, 1945 the pulley carried at the adjacent end of said upper 2,582,284 sarosdy Jan. 15, 1952 beam, thence over the pulley at the opposite end of 10 2,634,000 Ulrich APL 7, 1953 

